Gear of War: Reloaded Review: Does the Xbox Gem Hold Up on PS5?

It’s not really a question of whether Gears of War is a good game or not. The 2006 iconic Xbox 360 title launched third-person shooters into the stratosphere thanks to its meaty combat, cover-shooting mechanics, and no-holds-barred attitude. It’s been the badge of honour on the Xbox platform for quite some time and has seen some upgraded editions; but the most comprehensive remake of the game has landed across multiple platforms, showcasing the original entry’s brutal beauty to a whole new set of gamers.

So, Reloaded isn’t a full remake, as if the game was built again from scratch. It’s the Enhanced Edition of Gears of War (that was released a few years back), with some magic sprinkled on it thanks to Unreal Engine 5. Textures are more detailed, character models are smoother, and the game has a whole new spiffy look to it, thanks to a more colourful presentation. It’s still dark and gritty like the original, but the lighting is significantly better, muzzle-flashes spark on screen, and blood splatters in brighter red. However, the greatest recipient of improvement is probably the level design, which gets to shine a whole lot more with the improved visual fidelity. It’s purely a testament to how good the original game’s world was.

It also runs a lot smoother, as the 4K HDR visuals are delivered in 60 FPS during the campaign and 120 FPS in multiplayer, making the brash and brutal feeling of Gears a lot ‘cleaner’ for the new generation.

While it could’ve been easy for developer, The Coalition, to ditch the split-screen co-op mode, I am so glad that they included it, given that the original Gears is almost synonymous with co-op play at this point. The improved visuals and performance bode well for the split-screen gameplay too, with everything just appearing a lot clearer and brighter. Additionally, Reloaded is cross-play friendly, so you can jump into the campaign or competitive modes across all systems, which is great too!

As for the game itself, like I said at the beginning of this review, it has stood the test of time. Gears of War is the ultimate ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ case study. Even with its brutish, badass look, it’s got an incredibly captivating and nuanced story with some of the most compelling characters around. Throw that on top of some chunky combat, and it’s still a recipe for success, almost 20 years since its initial release.

If you’ve never played Gears, what are you doing!? Go and pick up Reloaded. And for those who love the original, the new coat of paint and subtle gameplay improvements make it worth revving up your chainsaw again. Also, owners of the digital version of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition can upgrade to the Reloaded version for free. So, it’s a no-brainer.

Gears of War: Reloaded is available on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.